Fruit-grading machine.



mason,

FRUIT GRADING MACHINE. APPLICATIONIILED SEPT. 8. m4.

Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET I.

J. NELSON.

FRUIT GRADING-MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. s. 1914.

Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

4 sums snzn 2 1 ha co-Jco 1. mggson. FRUIT GRADING MACHIN E.

, APPLICATIONVFILED SEPT.8. I9I4.

Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

4 SH'EETSSHEET 3.

'1. NELSON. I FRUIT GRADING MACHiNE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8. [$14.

Patented Feb. 15,1916.

4 SHEETS-:SHEET 4.

JOHNJNELSON, or SEILAH, wasiimeron.

*rnnrr-ennnmemacnmn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patenteareb. 15.19ic."

Application filed September 8, 1914. Serial 1T0. 866,698.

I'o alllwlwm it may concern Be it known that I, J OHN NnLsoN, a citizen of the Umted States, residing at Selah,

in the county ofYakima, State of ash ington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit-Grading Machines; and I do hereby declare the follow ing to be a full, clear, andexact description of the-invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to' which it appertains to ;make and use the same.

. This invention relates to fruit grading machines.-

Theoblect of the invention resides inthe provlslon of a fruitv grading maclnne which Will-automatically .removethe fruit one at a time from a. suitable supply, discharge same into a moving carrier and the latter being automatically operated to discharge the fruitupon' a subdivided sorting table, the dlscha-rge of .thel'fruit from the carrier being controlled by the weight thereof.

A further object of. the invention is to generally improve machines of this type so as to render them more reliable and eflicient and increase the rapidity with which the fruit is graded.

i" \Vith the above-and other objects in view the invention consists in the details of construction and in the arrangement-and combination of parts to be hereinaftenmore fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.=

In describing the'invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding.parts in the several views, and'in which- .-Figui'e 1 is a plan view of a fruit grading machine constructed in accordance with I-the invention with a fragment only of the "sorting table shown; Fig. 2', aside elevation of the machine with the sorting table entirely removed; Fig. 3. a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig.4. a detail perspective view showing the" mounting "of "the weight elements which control respective pivoted carriers; Fig. 5, an enlarged view looking at theouter end otone of the car riers: Fig. 6, a section onthe line (i-Gof Fig. 5: Fig.7, al section on the line 7 7 of Fig; 6: Fig. 8. a viewsnnilar to Fig. 6 show ing the cup element of the carrier in discharged position: Fig. 9. a section on the line 99.0f Fig. 9: Fig. 10. a section on the line 10-10 of Fig. 2: Fig. 11. a detail perspectwe view disclosing the construction and, -mount1ng of one of the feeding carriers; -F1g. 12, a detail perspective View .of one of the tripping devices employed in the machine, and Fig.-13,a section on the line I power. Rotatablymounted'on the frame A longitudinally of the latter is a shaft 17 w'hich'has fixed on'its outer end a gear 18 meshingwith a. gear 19' fixed on the shaft 15. J ournaled on the frame A is a vertical shaft 20 which has fixed thereon a gear 21 ,meshingwith a gear 22 fixed on the inner end of the shaft 17.

Slidably mounted on theshaft 20 is a sleeve 23 and mounted in the frame A around the shaft 20 are vertical bars 24 upon which are pivoted respectively levers .25

having corresponding ends pivotallv connected to the sleeve 23. The ends of the levers 25 remote from the shaft 20 are pivot ally connected to the lower ends of vertical bars '26 respectively slidablv mounted. in the frame A and carrying at their upper ends a substantially circular track '27 arranged concentric tothe shaft '20. Pivoted on the frame A is an operating lever B which 'is suitably connected to the outer end of one f the levers By operating the lever '29 it willbe obvious that the levers 25 can he in turn operated for the purpose of raising and lowering the bars 26 and of coursethc track 27. Mounted upon the track 27 at suitably spaced points is a pluralitv of tripping devices 29 for a purpose that will presently appear. I

Fixed on the upper end of the shaftiid is a wheel 30 theperipln rv of which 18 provifdeduvith aapluralitv of spaced lugs 31. Rotata'blvmounted between a djacciit lugs i1 are mud-s32 which havesecured thereto the inner ends of aruisififi and. 3+ res 'ie'c- 36 the purpose-of wheel 37 the periphery of which is provided portions 49 and fra'm'e 45 as will be obvious. correspond in number to the arms 36 and on its underside with spaced lugs 38. Pivotallymounted between adjacent lugs 38 are the inner ends of arms 39, the outer-"ends of which have secured thereto respectively U-shaped members B each including arms 40 and 41. Rotatably mounted between the arms 40 and 41-is a shaft 42 having an enlarged central cured a setting toe 44 for a purpose that will presently appear. Suitably secured to the enlarged portion 43 is a frame 45 which supports a funnel shape fruit receiver 46 constructed preferably of canvas or other desirable fabric.

Mounted upon the arm 40 is a bracket 47 in which is rotatably'mounted a rod 48 having its terminals bent laterally to form disposed at right angles to each other, the portion 49 projecting downwardly while the portion 50 is disosed substantially in the plane of the memr B. The arms 40 and 41 are connected above the rod 48 by means of a'bar 51 upon which is rotatably mounted a leaf spring including arms 52 and 53, the former being disposed above the portion 50 of the rod 48 am having its free end engaged beneath the toe 44, while the latter is provided withan opening 54 in which a catch 55 is adapted to engage to hold the frame 45 in set position, said catch being carried. by the The arms 39 the free end of each arm 36 is connected to the arm 39 .disposed therebeneath by means of a cable 56. In this connection it will be noted that the weights 35 tend through the cable 56 to raise the free end of the associated arm 39 and that "by employing two weighted arms 33 and 34 disposed on opposite sides of the arm 39 frictionresulting from side draft is eliminated.

Mounted in a fixed manner upon the shaft 17 adjacent the outer ends of the arms 39 is a spider wheel G including arms 56'. R0-

tatably mounted in the free endof each arm 56 is the laterally turned end 57 of a an arm 58. The other end of this arm 58 -that will presently appear. Mounted is also laterally turned as at 59 in a direction opposite to the end 57 for a purpose on each arm 58 is a bearing 60 in which'is rotatably mounted 'a shaft 61. terminating at one end in a skeleton frame-like portion 62, said portion being suitably dished to receive a single fruit. The end of the shaft 61 remote from the frame-like portion 62 terminates in a toe 63 for a purpose that will presently appear. frame A between the spider wheel C and the .gear 18 is a plate 64 having formed or otherwise suitably provided on its inner face substantially oval shaped spaced ribs 65 and 66 between which travel guides 67 portion 43 'to which is se-' Mounted. on the rotatably mounted on the ends59 respectively of the arms 58. The plate 64 is further provided on its inner face with a cam projection 68 adapted to engage successively thetoes 63 on'the shaft 61 to rotate saidv shaft and dispose the frame 62in position to discharge the fruit carried thereby into the cup 46 positioned to receive'it. The

vplate 64 is further provided on its inner face with a rib 69 adapted to be successively engaged by the toes 63 to rot-ate the shaft 61 so as'to dispose the frame 62 in position to pick up a S111 is fruit from a hopper 70 mounted upon t e frame A and through which latter the frame 62 on the end of each shaft 61 passes, during the rotation of the wheel C. This hopper 70 is preferably constructed of a suitable frame supportingIya canvas wall 71 and provided with a suitable opening 72 in its bottom to permit the passage of the frames. 62 during the rotation of the wheel C. The track 27 as I it approaches the wheel C from either direction rises .as at 73 and in addition is forked or divided to form an additional track 7 4, the ascendin' portions of the track 27 and also the track 4 are supported by ,a

standard 75 suitably mounted. upon the frame A.

Mounted upon the frame A and surto which is attached the canvas bottom 77 of a' sorting table D. This sorting table further comprises a frame portion includ-.

- rounding the track 27 is a ring or hoop 76 ments. The outer end of the table is supported upon suitable legs 80, the inner ends of the division members 79 being suitably secured to the hoop 76. It will be noted .that the tripping devices 29 are disposed substantially midway between adjacent division members noted that these tripping deyices are disposed in the path of the portions 49 of the rods 48 during the rotation of the shaft 20. It will be noted that by raising and'lowering the track 27 throughthe medium of the lever 28 the tripping devices 29 can be adjusted-vertically to a desired elevationaccording to the particular character of-the" fruit being graded.

79-, and it will be further In order to effect the operation of themav chine it is only necessary to rotate the shaft 15 and maintain a supply of fruit in the hopper 70. During the rotation of the shaft 15 it will be obvious that the arms 39 and cups 40 together with the spider wheel C will be simultaneously rotated. During the rotation of \the wheel C the frames 62 will each pick up a single fruit. As each frame approaches its upperm t position the toe 63 on the shaft 61' will'engage the cam element 68 when further rotation of the wheel will rotate the shaft 61 so as to discharge tithble vert cal shaft, wheels fixed on said the fruit carried by the frame- 1 v .316 positioned to receiv "it.-'-,Further rotaet-ion of the wheel C ,QfiILdisengagethe toe .'63 from the cam element 68yand said toe 5; willthen pass into engagement with the rib 'QBQ sozas ito rotate the shaft 61 in the oppo- 5 slteflfdirection and position the frame (52 'I pI'QI l'1y f0l passagethrough the hopper 70 i itopiolrup-another fruit;

en a fruit has been delivered into one thecups 46 and the arm 39 associated with lda'i eupcontinues its movement under the enoei'ofthe-rotation of the shaft the of the fruit will cause the cup and 1'5 itheggutei end of the arm 39 to move down- ;i '{gvgdhf against the influence of the weights nient 'bfithe cup 46 andthe free end of the grin-3i? will of course be dependent upon the Weight of the particular fruit. It will be noted -tha-t-the tripping devices 29 successively increase in height in the direction of rotation of the shaft 20. As a result of this structure it will be obvious that the portion jt ifiof the rod 48 associatedwith the arm 39 ;.-thefree end of which is depressed by the heaviest fruit will be first to engage a tripping ,device with the result that'the portion 511 ofthe rod .48 will move upwardly and E8Dengagethe arm 52 of the locking spring and :jrotate the latter to disengage the arm 53 thereof from the catch 55. Further moreinent of the arm 52 under the influence of {theQportion will engage the former with i ,thetoe 54 and'raise the frame 45 and cup into position to discharge the fruit car- ;by; the on into a predetermined compar'tuient of t e sorting table. Continued 'i'novenient of the arm 39 garrying the cup which the fruit has been discharged i ivill bring said arm into engagement with the rising portion 73 of the track .27 and the hame fi into engagement with the track H these track portions .will operate to re- 4 ,got the frame 45 and 0111346 and restore the .39 toits original position. This operatied-sis continued until the desired quantity ,fiuit has been graded. What is claimed is assorting device comprising a rointo the cup e extent "of the downward move shaft at spaced points, arms pivoted on the upper wheel, weights adj ustably mounted on said arms adjacent their outer ends, a plurality of arms pivoted on the lower wheel, links connecting the inner ends of corresponding arms on the upper and lower wheels, an article carrier pivoted on the outer end of each arm mounted on the lower wheel, means for locking the carriers against pivotal movement, and trips for releasing said locking means, said trips being disposed at different elevations.

2. In. an assorting apparatus, the combination of a series of rotating distributing arms having a yielding movement in a plane parallel to their axis'of rotation, the extent of said movement being .governed by the weight of the article, tilting cups mounted on the arms to carry the article, a latch mounted on the outer end of each armineluding diverging portions engaging the cup at different points, one of said portions being provided with an open ng, a finger on the cup engageable through said opening tolock the cup against tilting movement, and

trips disposed at different elevations for op-' erating said latch device to disengage the finger from said opening and permit tilting movement of the cup.

3. An asserting apparatus comprising a series of rotating distributing arms, article supporting means carried by each arm,

. means for feeding articles singly to the supporting means, said means comprising a hopper, a rotatable wheel. a plurality of carriers each rotatably mounted on the wheel and movable bodily through the hopper during therotation of the wheel to gather an article, means for independently rotating said carriers at a predetermined time during rotation of the wheel to discharge the article therein into the cooperating article supporting means, and means for subsequently rotating the carrier to properly position same for passage through the hopper.

In testimony whereof I athx my signature, in the presence of two witnesses. JOHN NELSON.

\Vitnesses L. L. BOLLES, W. H. SCOTT. 

